Besides raising funds to help plug the state’s growing fiscal gap, the bill would also set aside some of the tax revenue to prosecute child pornographers and to treat sex offenders. While those are great causes that need more funding, I completely disagree with imposing such an exclusive tax on adult entertainment. I also think that the bill makes an offensive and inaccurate correlation–that adult entertainment is somehow responsible for pedophilia and child pornography. Understandably the ACLU argues that if the bill is passed, it will be deemed unconstitutional.

To make matters worse, the Providence Journal reported on two moments of exteme immaturity on the part of the legislators. First, there were giggles when “…House Finance Chairman Steven Costantino glanced at, blushed, and then said of the anatomically-explicit legislation: ‘There are parts [of this bill] I am afraid to read on television.’” Are you ready for the explicit, scary words? They include: genitals, the pubic region, a buttock, female breast, and (gasp!) areola. These are the people we trust to run out state? People who are embarassed to use anatomically correct words?

Also, “…in one of the lighter moments during the hearing, Costantino asked Almeida if he had a sense of how much, if anything, the clubs were charging now as admission fees and Almeida shot back: ‘Why are you asking me? What are you trying to say?’” Haha, it’s so funny when lawmakers insinuate that other lawmakers frequent strip clubs! Ugh.

After the hearing, it was decided to hold onto the bill for further study. Please contact your local represenatives and tell them to reject this bill and/or grow up.

I have an awful addiction to reality television, which is usually kept under control because I don’t have cable and I’m often not home to watch TV. But FOX’s Hell’s Kitchen has caught my attention again this season. Every Tuesday night, I watch Chef Gordon Ramsay yell, throw food, and insult a dwindling number of aspiring chefs who all desperately want a job at one of Ramsay’s famous restaurants. I know that these shows are completely scripted (so I’m not sure who to blame–the “aspiring chef” or the producers), but there was a particularly vile character on the show this season.

Jason Underwood, a sous chef from Las Vegas, was the third chef kicked out of Hell’s Kitchen. Althought he completely botched his tasks night after night, Jason found the time to serve up boat loads of misogyny along the way. His rants were completely ridiculous, unprovoked, and provided nothing of substance in terms of entertainment. He was like a broken record, repeating boring, stereotypical anti-female schtick over and over again.

When he is chastized for not memorizing the dessert menu, his excuse is: “I hate desserts. They’re tedious. Women can make desserts. They’re not my thing.”

During a competition between the two teams (men vs. women), Jason is sure that the men will win because Hell’s Kitchen is a cooking competition, not a housekeeping contest.

When kicked off the show, he had this lovely response: “You know, the last girls that got put up on the block, they start crying. Well maybe if I would have cried like some pansy, some chick, maybe I’d be back upstairs chilling right now. But I can’t do that. I’m a man.”

If you see this man on the street, please let him know how you feel about his antics. I don’t care if he was told to act that way or not; there is not a big enough paycheck in this world to risk ruining your reputation for life.

It is never a good idea to bring your hyperactive brother, who has no book/magazine/computer to occupy his time, along with you to a coffeeshop. I have been here for over two hours and have accomplished nothing.

As an added bonus, I can’t understand anything he’s saying because I can’t see his lips. He may be doling out great advice, like Mr. Wilson, but I can’t hear any of it.

I am currently sitting on a damp porch at a bed and breakfast in Provincetown, MA, nearing the end of my 24 hour self-imposed retreat. Now that class is finished for the semester, I need to rededicate myself to my writing and other lifestyle things that get brushed aside when school is in session. I have approximately four months before next semester, so there’s a lot of time for accomplishment.

I decided to splurge on this getaway so I could make some space in my head, set some goals, and rejuvenate after a long stretch of stressfulness. I had a chance to go shopping, take a bubble bath, read a book in the parlor, and spend a big chunk of time working on me. This place is so beautiful and fit my purpose exactly. I don’t think I’ll ever stay at a different bed and breakfast when I visit this town again. As a sign of fate, the room I reserved (the Quan Yin) is named after the Buddhist goddess for loving kindness–a practice that many people have told me to take up. Despite the Londonesque weather, this journey has been perfect.

All that being said, there will be some major changes coming to this site–mostly good, I hope. I had the opportunity to sketch out a new color scheme, blog tag line, and theme that will be created when Dan doesn’t have 1,000 things on his place. Hopefully by July 1st.

Starting now, I will be posting at least every Wednesday and Saturday. Wednesday entries will be miscellaneous while Saturday posts will be called “Burst Your Bubble”–happenings in media and/or pop culture that make me cringe.